FTR Moto is looking to add to its tally of podium finishes this year in this weekend’s 11th round of the Moto2 World Championship at the Misano circuit near Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast.

FTR is also hoping to add to the two race victories with its M210 and also to complement the 13 top six finishes so far in 2010 as a reduced line-up of three M210 riders embark on the San Marino round at Misano.

The Fimmco Speed Up Team’s Andrea Iannone and Gabor Talmacsi are joined by Cardion AB Motoracing Team M210 rider Karel Abraham but Spaniard Alex Debon, of the Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team, will be missing after further injuring the shoulder he broke at Assen two months ago when Ukrainian Vladimir Ivanov took him out of last Sunday’s Indianapolis round.

Gabor Talmacsi

Talmacsi’s consistent point-scoring is matched only by series leader Toni Elias with Hungarian Talmacsi finishing in the top 10 in seven of the 10 races so far and having just one non finish, at Silverstone.

His team-mate Iannone – with six Grand Prix wins to his name – arrives from Indianapolis in confident mood after setting the fastest time in last Sunday’s American race, finishing fourth and knowing that only a qualifying crash robbed him of a potential third win of the year on the Fimmco Speed Up M210.

The concussion suffered in a crash at his home Czech Republic Grand Prix last month was sufficient to rule Karel Abraham out of the Indianapolis race last Sunday but the Cardion AB Motoracing Team rider is expected to return to action at Misano.

FTR’s Steve Bones continued: “I’m disappointed for Alex Debon as the crash last week and the one in Assen were not his fault. Hopefully he will be fit for the Aragon round in Spain in two weeks. The Speed Up guys have done a good job this year and last weekend put in a really impressive display.

“Andrea Iannone qualified on the front row for the 125cc race at Misano last year so we’d expect him to be on the pace and Gabor Talmacsi’s efforts so far this year deserve a podium finish which he will surely get very soon. We’re pleased Karel Abraham is feeling a lot better and hopefully able to go into Friday’s free practice at Misano in the kind of mood that brought him fourth place at Catalunya.”

FTR Moto will field a record five riders on its M210 machines in next week’s Indianapolis, USA round of the Moto2 World Championship as American Jason DiSalvo has been awarded a wild card entry and will race the FTR machine owned by the Canadian FOGI Racing Team operation.

DiSalvo, 26, will join the FTR regulars of the FIMMCO Speed Up Team’s Andrea Iannone and Gabor Talmacsi, Karel Abraham on the Cardion AB Motoracing Team M210 and Spain’s Alex Debon and his Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team FTR machine.

Jason DiSalvo quit the Parkingo Triumph World Supersport team earlier this year citing lack of motorcycle performance

Former American Superbike and World Supersport rider DiSalvo becomes the ninth rider this year to race one of the FTR M210 machines and is the second World Championship wild card rider with an FTR after Kev Coghlan rode the same FOGI Racing M210 at Silverstone, GB two months ago.

The DiSalvo Indianapolis entry will be run by the GPtech Team of former American racer Geoff Maloney. AMA Pro Racing technical director Al Ludington is on vacation from his duties to serve as DiSalvo’s crew chief.

“It’s great that we’ve got a wild card rider in his home Grand Prix again and Jason has tremendous experience so could provide a formidable challenge,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Geoff Maloney has called on a lot of existing FTR experience and personnel including the machine from Angus Borland of FOGI and the technicians from the Monlau Competicion Team who contest the CEV Spanish Championship. The guys have been testing in America this week and everything seems to be on schedule for Jason and the M210 to be competitive come next weekend.”

FTR Moto recorded a fifth podium finish of the 2010 Moto2 World Championship as Andrea Iannone finished third on the FIMMCO Speed Up FTR M210 machine in round nine at Brno, Czech Republic on Sunday.

Iannone – starting from second place on the front row of the grid – made a poor start and was forced to battle back from seventh place on the opening lap, eventually taking the lead of the race on the sixth lap from fellow FTR M210 rider Alex Debon.

Yuki Takahashi and eventual race winner Toni Elias closed in and passed Iannone in the closing stages and Iannone was forced to settle for third place.

“Today was a difficult day,” said Iannone who moved into second place in the Championship standings. “I didn’t make a good start then eventually got to the front but the pace of Elias and Takahashi was too much for me in the end.”

Gabor Talmacsi – Iannone’s Speed Up teammate – fought his way through from 16th place on the grid to cross the finish line in a credible sixth place at the end of the 20-lap race, while Debon on the Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team M210 finished in seventh.

Debon put in a spirited ride as he moved from 12th place on the opening lap to lead the race by lap five and eventually take his first podium finish since the British round at Silverstone two months ago. And the Spaniard’s progress was halted by a broken steering damper from the halfway stage of the race.

And there was no dream home race victory for promising Karel Abraham and his Cardion AB Motoracing Team FTR M210 as he was forced to miss the race following crashes in Friday’s practice and Saturday’s qualifying sessions. Abraham suffered minor injuries and mild concussion.

“Overall it’s great to see one of the M210s on the podium again although, at one point, I thought Iannone, Debon and Talmacsi were all heading for the victory.” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “With all three of our machines in the top seven, including Alex with a broken damper, and out of 39 starters I’m more than happy.”

Cardion AB Motoracing's Karel Abraham

After a four-week break, FTR Moto is looking to continue its successful first-half form when the inaugural Moto2 World Championship resumes this weekend at the Automotodrom Brno in the Czech Republic.

Andrea Iannone – with two wins in the Championship – will be hoping to challenge for the title from his current spot in third place in the series points table aboard his FIMMCO Speed Up Team FTR M210 machine. He lies 46 points behind series leader Toni Elias with nine races remaining. Iannone is also looking to add to his victories in Italy and Holland and continue a remarkable run of pole positions for the Italian rider in each of the last three rounds: Holland, Catalunya and Germany.

Iannone’s Speed Up teammate, Gabor Talmacsi, will be keen to improve on his eighth place in the Championship after seven points-scoring finishes in eight races.

Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team rider Alex Debon is looking to repeat some of his early season displays as he resumes in full fitness and looking to add to his sensational runner-up finish in Qatar on his FTR M210.

Karel Abraham, on the Cardion AB Motoracing Team’s FTR M210, added to a career-best fourth place in the Catalunya round with fifth place in Germany in the last round, and the Czech Republic rider is now looking to his home race for a first ever podium finish.

“We’ve been busy in the break since Germany and are now looking for a charge towards the head of the Moto2 World Championship table from all the FTR riders between now and the end of the season,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “Judging by our discussions with the riders and teams, everyone is fired up and all have good reason to chase victories and podiums. Of the four riders on FTR machines two have been on the podium and the other two have been in the top five so we’re confident they are all capable of winning races.

FTR Moto is looking to build on an excellent start to the inaugural Moto2 World Championship by increasing its efforts and challenging for more race wins.

FIMMCO Speed Up Moto2 rider Andrea Iannone

With eight races gone and nine to go, the four FTR M210 machines sit in third, ninth, 12th and 14th places in the World Championship standings with an incredible 33 riders having already scored points. FTR’s innovative machine has taken two wins and four podium finishes so far.

“Considering nobody really knew how the series was going to evolve – apart from being ultra competitive – we’re more than happy with our return to this point of the season,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “With Andrea Iannone third in the Championship he obviously looks a good bet to challenge for the first ever Moto2 World title.”

Iannone rides the FIMMCO Speed Up Team’s FTR, along with Gabor Talmacsi, while Spaniard Alex Debon – runner-up in the Qatar opener – pilots the Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team – with Czech Republic rider Karel Abraham on the Cardion AB Motoracing Team FTR machine.

Bones continued: “Talmacsi continues to show signs that he could win races. He’s had five out of eight finishes in the top 10, had an 11th and a 13th and the one non-finish so the consistency and quality is evident. Debon began the year in sensational fashion but has been really unfortunate.

“A small broken wire prevented him from qualifying on the front row in Jerez then he got tangled up in the multi-machine crash at the start of the race. He suffered a bad shoulder injury in the freak crash at Assen and has become frustrated so he will benefit from the four-week break more than most.

“In Abraham we have a rider who switched to our machine after three rounds and his last three results – of ninth, fourth and fifth respectively – suggest he could be on the brink of a first podium finish.”

The break in the Championship since the German race on July 18 has given FTR a chance to further develop the M210 in readiness for the second half of the year.

Bones concluded: “The feedback from our riders has been first class and we’re confident the changes we’re working on will further enhance the possibilities of more race wins and podiums – hopefully beginning with the next race at Brno a week on Sunday.”

Johann Zarco

Today is the last Friday of free practice before the summer break for the 125cc and Moto2, and as has been the case several times so far in the season, Thursday’s sessions brought rain, while today brings sunshine and hot temperatures.

125cc class rider Johann Zarco, riding today on his 20th birthday, had some trouble with his bike at the beginning of the session and lost twenty minutes trying to find a better setup. The team was quick to set up the motorcycle, and Zarco immediately started to improve.  However, due to his problems with the bike, he closed this session in only 17th position. His team is confident for tomorrow though, now that the young rider can focus his attention in riding and not on the setting of the bike.

Valentin Debise

Today’s practice sessions were also unlucky for Moto2’s Valentin Debise who went down while in 25th position. He came away uninjured, but damage to the bike made it impossible for him to return to the track for the final session.  He finished in 38th position without any real chance to improve his lap times.

JOHANN ZARCO – 17th position (1’30.102 – 19 laps):
“Today we were a bit unluckily. At the beginning of the session, we had a problem with the bike that didn’t switch on and we lost 20 minutes. Then I was quiet when I started and I only took my landmarks. We didn’t change my bike setting because our objective was to take the faster riders like models and try to follow them. Unluckily, I was unable to follow them, because every time someone stopped or eased himself, and for this reason I lost time and I didn’t improve my lap time.  Anyway, I well understood my errors and I gave important information at my chief mechanic. For sure tomorrow will be better.”

VALENTIN DEBISE – 38th position (1’28.859 – 9 laps):
“I started well, I was riding alone, I had a perfect rhythm and I was 25th. Then we changed the tires with new ones and probably I pushed too much. I made an error at the corner entrance, I lost the front and regretfully I fell down.”

FTR Moto is looking for more Moto2 success in this Sunday’s seventh round of the MotoGP World Championship at the Circuit de Catalunya, near Barcelona, Spain with FIMMCO Speed Up Team rider Andrea Iannone looking to become the first rider to win three races in the inaugural year of the 600cc four-stroke class.

Iannone has taken the FTR M210 to wins in Italy and last Saturday in Holland and sits fourth in the World Championship, 33 points behind with 11 races to go. Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team M210 rider Alex Debon will race in his home GP despite suffering a shoulder injury at Assen last week.

Iannone’s FIMMCO Speed Up team-mate Gabor Talmacsi will be looking to improve on his 10th place in the World Championship while Czech Republic rider Karel Abraham continues to adapt to the M210 after his career-best ninth place finish at Assen on his Cardion AB Motoracing FTR machine.

FTR Moto's M210 Moto2 machine has been successful all over Europe in 2010

In addition to the Catalunya Grand Prix, FTR Moto has a presence at other major events this weekend – all in addition to retaining its focus on the CEV Spanish Championship and the Kev Coghlan - Monlau Competicion program and today’s test session at the new Motorland Aragon circuit.

The FTR M210 will make its debut at a British Superbike Championship round this weekend when Scottish rider Coghlan will perform demonstration laps on his Silverstone Grand Prix wild card machine at the Knockhill sixth round on Saturday and Sunday.

Also this weekend, the FTR Moto2 race machine will make an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the Dunlop Live Arena. The event, held at Goodwood Estate in Sussex, Eng, runs today through Sunday and features a historic-vehicle hill climb, expo and celebration of motorsports.

FTR’s Steve Bones:
“From heading into the first round of the World Championship in Qatar less than three months ago with three riders we’ve now got four riders on the M210 and two more teams in discussions about running the FTR machine.
We’ve become the first Moto2 constructor to contest the Isle of Man TT races and this weekend’s activities probably typify just how far the FTR Moto name has come in such a short space of time. Obviously we’d like further success at World Championship level but success in the Spanish Championship also remains crucial to our machine and rider development program.
We hope that the BSB fans enjoy the sight and sound of the FTR at Knockhill this weekend and I’m sure the first ever Moto2 machine to be present at the Goodwood Festival of Speed will attract a lot of attention. We also need to say thanks to our various partners for their support in all of these activities.”

FTR Moto and the FIMMCO Speed Up Team enjoyed a second win of the year in the inaugural Moto2 World Championship as sensational Italian rider Andrea Iannone repeated his victory of three weeks ago at Mugello, Italy by dominating today’s sixth round at Assen in Holland.

Iannone grabbed the lead a third of the way into the opening lap then extended his lead to 9.0s by lap 17 of the 24-lap race. He eventually crossed the finish line with a winning margin of 4.4s on the M210 and is now up to fourth place in the World Championship, just 33 points behind leader Toni Elias – runner-up at Assen today.

“The win today feels better than my win in Mugello,” said Iannone who, as he did in Mugello, started the race today from pole position. He added: “It was a tough race; I had to keep pushing hard to keep the lead. I have to thank the mechanics and Luca Boscoscuro. Now we must keep focused and do the same job next week at the Catalunya round.”

Czech Republic rider Karel Abraham enjoyed a career-best finish of ninth place after being locked in a battle for seventh on his Cardion AB Motoracing Team FTR M210. Abraham’s seven points for ninth moved him up six places in the Championship table to 22nd.

Iannone’s FIMMCO Speed Up team-mate Gabor Talmacsi bounced back from a heavy fall in qualifying on Friday to take his fifth points-scoring finish from six rounds with 13th place. Talmacsi sits joint ninth in the World Championship with luckless Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team rider Alex Debon who was unable to start after a qualifying crash on Friday.

FTR’s Steve Bones commented: “Andrea was sensational today, as he was in Mugello. All three of our machines that started finished in the points and Karel Abraham’s performance – in only his fourth race on the machine – was superb and he was the fastest rider through the speed trap at 163mph so we’re leaving Holland and heading to Spain with plenty of optimism.”

Fimmco Speed Up rider Andrea Iannone is celebrating a second pole position in three rounds as the Italian recorded the fastest time in qualifying for Saturday’s sixth round of the Moto2 World Championship at the Assen circuit in the north of Holland.

Iannone started from pole position then won the fourth round at Mugello in Italy three weeks ago and will be looking to do the same tomorrow after being fastest throughout practice and qualifying.

Fellow FTR rider Alex Debon was leading the qualifying session when he became involved in an incident with a slower rider. Debon fell from the Aeroport de Castello-Ajo M210 and the luckless Spaniard suffered a broken right collarbone. The crash rules Debon out of tomorrow’s Assen race even though he qualified in third place on the front row.

Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham continues to adapt to the FTR M210 after switching to the Buckingham, England-built chassis for the Le Mans, France third round last month. Abraham was constantly in the top 10 throughout practice and qualifying but a crash-ridden finish to qualifying left the Czech Republic rider in 12th place, completing the third row of the grid.

Iannone’s teammate Gabor Talmacsi – again a front-runner throughout practice – will start from 23rd place after crashing out of qualifying, escaping injury.

FTR’s Steve Bones
“We’re working hard with Andrea Iannone as he still has some set-up issues but his time in qualifying was impressive and I’m sure he’ll believe he can win tomorrow. It was a real shame for Alex Debon as he’d made some changes prior to the qualifying session and on his third lap out set the time that was eventually to be good enough for third place on the grid. Karel Abraham is impressing every week as he gets used to the FTR M210 and we’re hoping he can push for a top 10 finish tomorrow. After the injury to Alex Debon I’m pleased that Gabor Talmacsi is OK to race following his crash. His machine needs some attention but that can be easily fixed.”

FTR Moto suffered mixed fortunes with the five M210 machines in action at the fifth round of the Moto2 World Championship at the new Silverstone Circuit on Sunday, but Spaniard Alex Debon ensured the run of top-five finishes continued for the Buckingham, England-based chassis manufacturer. FTR machines have taken top-five finishes five times in 2010, and Aeroport de Castello-Ajo Team rider Debon continued that run on the new, 3.665-mile Northamptonshire circuit – home of the British MotoGP round for the next five years.

Andrea Iannone – the runaway winner of the fourth round at Mugello, Italy a fortnight ago – battled to 12th place on his FIMMCO Speed Up Team machine while wild card rider Kev Coghlan finished 22nd on the FOGI Racing-backed FTR machine in the 18-lap race.

FIMMCO Speed Up's Gabor Talmacsi crashed out of a battle for ninth place at Silverstone

Gabor Talmacsi – in his 150th Grand Prix start – crashed out of the battle for ninth place with three laps to go, escaping injury, and luckless Cardion AB Motoracing’s Karel Abraham also fell, on the last lap and while chasing 14th place. Abraham suffered a wrist injury in the crash.

“It’s been a frantic and tough weekend overall, but Alex Debon once again proved the potential of the FTR machine with a strong finish and, in the early stages, he showed signs of being able to challenge for the win,” said FTR’s Steve Bones. “We’ve got three riders in the top 10 of the Championship, Kev Coghlan’s machine was fastest through the speed trap at Silverstone and the interest in the FTR Moto2 machine continues to grow so we’re all pretty happy. We’ve got Assen and Catalunya in quick succession now and the closeness of Moto2 is evident week in, week out. With that in mind the new class is quickly becoming not just a battle of constructors but it’s also pushing the teams to the limit in terms of their technical abilities. In the teams we’re involved with and the technical support they have we’re sure there’s a lot more excitement and success to come in 2010 for FTR.”